8 Best Sights in Santiago, Chile

This large, iconic hill within the centenary Parque Metropolitano is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Santiago. From the western entrance at Plaza Caupolicán (Pío Nono), you can take a steep but enjoyable one-hour walk to the summit, or take the funicular, a historic monument that opened in 1925. The teleférico (cable car) ascends from the eastern entrance, seven blocks north of Pedro de Valdivia metro stop.

Chile's once-mighty railroads have been relegated to history, but this acre of Parque Quinta Normal keeps the memory alive. Sixteen steam locomotives and four passenger coaches are set within quiet gardens with placards in Spanish and English. You can board several of the trains. Among the collection is one of the locomotives used on the old cross-Andes railway to Argentina, which operated between Chile and Argentina from 1910 until 1971. Guided tours are available.

The resplendent Pabellón París outside the Parque Quinta Normal grounds houses this interactive museum that teaches the fundamentals of art to children, but the pavilion itself—with its glass domes, Pompeian-red walls, and blue-steel columns—is the real jewel. Designed by French architect Pierre-Henri Picq, it housed Chile's exhibition in the 1889 Paris International Exposition (where Gustave Eiffel's skyline-defining tower was unveiled); the structure was later shipped to Santiago. On weekdays, school groups explore the two floors of reproductions of famous artworks hung at kid-height as well as the virtual reality salon. There are occasional interactive exhibits and workshops, plus an on-site café.

Children can spend a happy half hour at this small science-and-technology museum's interactive exhibits, while adults can peruse its collection of old phonographs, calculators, and computers. A small part of the Museo Infantil's (Children's Museum) collection was also moved to this museum after the 2010 earthquake, and there are exhibits for ages three and up on astronomy and vision.

The Fashion Museum, opened in 2007 by a son of Jorge Yarur Banna, one of Chile's most successful textile barons, hosts small but choice exhibitions mostly featuring women's dresses that date to the 1600s. Housed in the Yarur family's former home, designed by Chilean architects in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1960s, the museum offers a fascinating insight into the lifestyle of the Chilean oligarchy in the run-up to the upheaval of Salvador Allende's socialist government and the ensuing military coup. The main rooms feature original furnishings, while the pink 1958 Ford Thunderbird driven by Yarur's wife is parked in a courtyard.

Call before visiting; the museum can close for up to two months between exhibitions.

El Garage café, open daily, serves light meals and snacks at reasonable prices.

The National Natural History Museum is the centerpiece of Parque Quinta Normal. French architect Paul Lathoud designed the building for Chile's first international exposition in 1875. Damaged by successive earthquakes, the neoclassical structure was rebuilt and enlarged. There are large dioramas of stuffed animals against painted backdrops, descriptions of wrongs committed against indigenous people, and occasionally, paleontologists working in glass-walled exhibits. The skeleton of an enormous blue whale hangs in the central hall, delighting children of all ages. Exhibits are labeled only in Spanish, but audio guides in English are available.

The main attraction in summer of this area inside Parque Metropolitano is the delightful Piscina Tupahue, an 82-meter (269-foot) pool with a rocky crag running along one side. Beside the pool is the 1925 Torreón Victoria, a stone tower surrounded by a trellis of bougainvillea. If Piscina Tupahue is too crowded, try the nearby Piscina Antilén. From Plaza Tupahue you can follow a path below to Plaza de Juegos Infantiles Gabriela Mistral, a popular playground.

The zoo is a good place to see Chilean birds and animals, such as puma and condor, that you might not otherwise encounter. As is often the case with many older zoos, the animals aren't given much room.